Wide range mechanical atomizer



k '14, 1936. Rug, VROQM AL 2,037,645 V WIDE RANGE MECHANICAL ATOMIZER Filed Sept. 19, 195 3 5m. 6. PETE/P50 INVENTORS W 4% ATTO EY Patented Apr. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,037,645 WIDE RANGE MECHANICAL ATOMIZER Robert C. Vroom, Bloomfield, and Eric G. Peterson, Glen Ridg e, N. .L, assignors to Peabody Engineering Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 19, 1933, Serial No. 090,070

' 3 Claims. (01.299-120) This invention relates particularly to burners of the Peabody wide range type, in which proper atomization is maintained at the burner tip throughout a wide range of capacity. In

5 burners of this type, the oil is given a rapid rotary motion in a central so-called "whirling chamber" in the burner'tip and this rotary motion and hence the atomizing effect at the orifice of the tip due to centrifugal force is kept sub- 10 stantially constant whether the full capacity of oil is to be sprayed or only a portion. This is accomplished by providing an outlet-for the oil from the central chamber other than and in addition to the orifice through which the oil is 15 sprayed to the furnace. By releasing such por- .tion of the oil as may not be required for burn-, ins. a wide capacity range is secured which is under control of a valve in the return line. As heretofore constructed,'the oil thus returned has 30 been released through a series of openings in the back wall of the whirling chamber.

The objects of this invention are to eliminate retarding or turbulent effects in the whirling chamber and to smooth out the action and im 25 prove atomization.

Other objects oi'the invention 'are set forth or will be apparent in the accompanying specification, claimsand drawing. The latter shows byway of illustration certain preferred embodiments of the invention and'what is now considered the best mode of applying the underlying 35 by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and within the spirit of the appended claims. Fig. 1 in the drawing is a broken longitudinal sectional view .of an atomizer having a form of 40 the invention incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same partly in section as substantially on the plane of line 2--2 of Fig. 1. L

Fig. 3-is a cross-sectional view as on line 3-3 45 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an inside view of the burner tip. Fig. 5 is a race view of the cooperating plug element. s

Fig. 6 is an enlarged broken sectional detall'of thestructureshowninFlg. 1. Fig.7isasimilarviewofamodified1ormof the same. p

In Fig: 1, the barrel of the atomizer is indicated at 8, having screwed over the end of the same a cap 9, which holds the tip IlLagalnstthe plug II, which is screwed over the end of the oil return tube l2.

The plug member is shown as having-supply openings I3, leading from the annular oil flow passage M, in the barrel to an annular channel 5 IS, in the back of the tip.

Passages or slots l6 substantially tangential to the walls of the central chamber provide for flow of the oil from the annular supply channel l5, into the cylindrical rearward portion ll, of said 10 chamber, which has the forward conical portion I8, leading to the central discharge orifice l9.

At the base or back of the whirling chamber, there is provided, in the present invention, an annular groove 20,, for return fiow of such oil as is not discharged at the atomizing orifice, this return flow groove being formed in the present disclosure, in the face of the plug member ll,

and having drilled into it from the rear an annular series of return passages 2|, opening directly to the interior of the plug and thus in communication with the passage in the return pipel2. Q

The openings 2i are of greater diameter, than the width of the annular return slot and the slot extends well into these openings as particularly shown at 20' in Figs. 6 and 7, providing thereby sufilcient capacity to carry off the oil to be returned through the annular slot, 20.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1'

to 6,.the annular return groove 20 extends only slightly within the cylindrical portion of the whirling chamber. The return groove may, however, be set back as in Fig. '7, so as not to project at all into the whirling chamber. In thismodiflcation the entire back wall of the whirling chamher is solid and continuous so that there is no mterruption for the body of oil rotating over the face or the same and hence no turbulence imparted thereto by such'wall. This uninterrupted 40 back wall may be entirely, smooth and fiat as shown, or may, if desired, be curved or specially contoured.

When the return slot 20 is set back or outward of the whirling chamber as in Fig. '7, the wall of the chamber may be chamfered or bevelled as indicated at 22, to fully uncover and provide a divergent annular throat leading from the whirling chamber into the annular return groove.

Operation Oil under pressure-is delivered to-the annular space between the inner tube l2 and the burner barrel 8 and enters the annular space M from 'which it passes through the ports It to the annular channel i5. This channel communicates with the ports l6 which are arranged to deliver the oil tangentially into the central chamber H of the tip l0. Thus a rapid rotary motion is set up within the central chamber which creates centrifugal force sufiicient to break the body of the liquid up into a fine spray when it is released on passing out through the tip orifice l9. In addition to the orifice I9 supplementary outlets from the central chamber are provided consisting of the annular channel 20 which communicates through cylindrical ports 2| with the return oil connection 52. This pipe connects through certain fittings not shown in the drawing with an oil supply pipe provided with a valve (also not shown). When this valve is closed all the oil entering the central chamber of the tip escapes through orifice I9 and the burner is then operating at full capacity. If however this valve in the return line is partially open some of the oil passes away from the central chamber through the annular channel 20, ports 2| and pipe I 2. valve in the return line is open a greater or less amount of oil will be sprayed into the furnace. As the effectiveness of the atomizing action depends upon centrifugal force it is essential that -as little opposition to the whirling action of the oil in the central chamber shall be set up as possible and this is secured by the novel construction of the annular outlet channel 20.

The effectiveness of the wide capacity range action of the atomizer is facilitated by having the outlet port from the central chamber removed as far as possible from the axis of rotation of the oil in the central chamber. This is accomplished by the present invention.

The annular return groove may be made quite narrow in width so as to offer minimum interference to the rotating oil body and returning flow of oil and the extension of the larger diameter return openings 2|, into the back of the return grooves provides widening passages 25, from Thus according as to how much the v having the rear wall back of said atomizing orifice provided with an annular return groove extending outwardly from said whirling chamber and lying partially outside the periphery of said whirling chamber and a return outlet in communication with said annular groove.

2. An atomizer of the character disclosed, comprising in combination a barrel, a return tube therein, a plug on the end of said return tube, said plug being provided with an annular return groove in the outer face of the same and with openings extending from said annular return groove through the back of the plug and open to the return tube and a burner tip engaged over the plug and provided with a whirling chamber in the back of the same in communication with said return groove in the plug, said tip having an atomizing orifice in communication with the whirling chamber and tangential supply passages opening into the whirling chamber and in communication with the interior of the barrel, said annular return groove in the face of said slug lying at least partially outside the periphery of said whirling chamber.

3. An atomizer having a whirling chamber with a rearward substantially cylindrical portion, a forwardly tapering conical portion with a central discharge orifice, supply passages opening tangentially into the cylindrical rearward portion of the chamber, a back wall with an annular return slot therein in rear of said cylindrical portion of the chamber and of greater diameter than said cylindrical rearward portion of the chamber and a divergent annular throat extending radially outward from said cylindrical portion of the chamber to said larger diameter annular return slot.

ROBERT C. VBOOM. ERICG. PETERSON. 

